Instructions in Submission, Part 2

We will look at Ephesians chapter 6 starting with verses 1 through 9 tonight. We will be picking up kind of where we left off from two weeks ago and walk through this passage as we see what it is that God would direct us in his word. So let us read.

Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 9. Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and your mother which is the first commandment with the promise so that it will be well with you and that you may live long upon the earth. Fathers do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in sincerity of your heart as to Christ not by way of eye service as men pleases but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill rendering service as to the Lord not to men knowing that whatever good thing each one does this he would receive back from the Lord whether slave or free. And masters do the same thing to them and give up threatening knowing that both your master and excuse me both their master and yours is in heaven and there is no partiality in him. When we was together before two weeks ago we talked about this book this letter Ephesians and we explained that what it meant as we look at review that these were Christians who lived in the city of Ephesus that it is the capital of Roman providence of Asia, Asia minor, or modern day Turkey would be it today.

Many commentators point out that the earlier manuscript did not include the words in Ephesus because they believe that this was a circular letter and therefore it was intended for everybody but they rushed to tell us that there is nothing lost in the leaving out of those words. So we move on to the letter and we asked you last week and we will ask you again please remember that this is a letter and not a book therefore it was not written in chapters and verses as we have it today.

Now that being said, what we have is chapters 1 2 and 3: we are instructed in who we are in Christ. Chapters 4 5 and 6 instructs us on how we ought to act because of who we are in Christ and when you think about that, that's what the Christian life should be about: putting God on display because of what he has done for us and in us.

We started with Ephesians 5:15 therefore be careful how you walk the word walk in scripture means the manner of life. Be careful how you live because people are watching and you want to put him on display as you live and then he goes on and tell us not as unwise men but as wise. By the way I think if we asked anybody would you rather be wise or unwise I think we would all agree that we would want to be wise.

So he says to us not as unwise men but as wise. As Paul is instructing the saints how we ought to live because of who we are in Christ. He says that we are not to be unwise.

Think about the things that we do. Think about the things that we say. How is it that we communicate to people? Are we communicating from a wise standpoint or from an unwise standpoint? And then we looked at verse 16 chapter 5. He says making the most of your time because the days of evil.

The old King James uses the term here redeeming the time. The Greek word is used four times in the New Testament and it means to buy back. Twice it is used of what Christ did for us.

We will read you one of those from Galatians chapter 3 verse 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written curse is everyone who hangs on a tree. The other time it is used is about us and how we are to act.

In Colossians chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 he says conduct yourselves with wisdom toward the outsiders. Here's our word making the most of the opportunity. Conduct yourselves with wisdom for those who are on the outside.

Those would be non-Christians. Then he goes on to say let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt so that you will know how you ought to respond to each person. This is each person on the outside that you are responding to.

Let your speech always be seasoned with salt. Let it always be of grace even when they are not gracious to you. Yes, let your speech always be of grace so you will know how to respond to each person.

Then he went on to talk about in verse 17 so then do not be foolish but understanding what the will of the Lord is. How is it that we not be foolish? We come to know what the will of the Lord is. How do you know that? By reading his word.

By understanding what it is that he says that we are to do. By the way when you see some people who say that they are Christians then you listen to what it is they have to say. It leaves no doubt that they know nothing about Christianity.

Just because a person says that they are Christian doesn't mean that they are. So he says to us so we are not to be foolish but to understand what the will of the Lord is. And then he goes on in verse 18 and says do not be drunk with wine for that is dissipation.

That is a terrible way to live is what he's telling us, to be drunk with wine. And the word has to do with excessive drinking. So he said don't be controlled by that.

Don't be, don't live by that, but be filled with the spirit. The word to be filled means to make full, to fill up. He's telling us to let the spirit of God control us and not some other source.

Because see we can look at, well I don't drink so that's not a problem for me, but I could be controlled by some other thing and that's what he's telling us not to let happen. What happens when we are filled with the spirit? He says to us that we were speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in our hearts and to the Lord. Notice he says in your heart.

You can't make melody in my heart. I can't make melody in your heart. The other thing, now think about, I can't control your heart and you can't control mine.

But he says here that we ought to make melody in our hearts unto the Lord. And those are the things that we are called to do. You cannot fulfill verse 19 out of a heart that is controlled by something other than the spirit of God.

And these are the things that we want to keep in mind for us. And then he says to us always giving thanks to all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God even the Father. Always give thanks for all things.

Do we stay in that attitude of thanksgiving? Or do we like to gripe and complain about things that come up the weather the people that we work with or everything else. By the way you know Christians have gotten so good with complaining we think it's a spiritual gift. It actually is not.

Okay he tells us here that here is how we ought to live. We ought to live in a way that we are giving thanks to God for everything. When we think about this from chapter 4 verse 1 Paul is telling the saints how we ought to live regardless to our situation when it comes to marriage.

You could be in marriage. You could be out of marriage. You could be before marriage.

You could be one of those that say I'm never going to get married. He is telling us as Christians how we ought to live. That should tell us something.

How we live doesn't depend upon our situation. How we live depends upon how we respond to the word of God and the direction that he gives to us. In verse 21 he would say to us that we are to do something.

He says in verse 21, and be subject to one another in the fear of God. Be subject to place yourself under. It's what it's calling us to do.

That's what the word be subject to. To arrange yourself under two subordinates. Do you know the president of the United States is the commander in chief of all of our military forces regardless of whether he's had military experience or not.

So all the men let's tell you on the joint chiefs of staff come into the room and put all of the effort together and make a decision and he can say no to that. Because they have to rank themselves under and that's what he is telling us to do. Paul says as we operate in the church as we operate in the family we are to submit to one another.

So what is his point? We covered this last time; and why does he start with the wife? Because he's dealing with leadership. When it comes to leadership the wife is to submit herself to the husband and I love what Colossians says about this. He says in everything.

Now that doesn't make me as a husband puffed up. Okay because just a few verses later he's going address men and help us to understand what the husband is to do. But he goes on and says in verse 22 wives be submissive to your own husband as unto the Lord.

Note that he doesn't say because he's smarter than you. It's because of the position that the husband has. Wives when it comes to leadership rank yourself under the husband.

He goes on in verse 23 and says for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is also the head of the church. He himself being the savior of the body, but as the church is subject to Christ so also the wives ought to be subject to their own husbands in everything. Wives to their own husbands.

Then from chapter 5 verse 25 through verse 33 he addresses the husbands. Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her. Notice what words are not inserted here.

Submit yourself; and they shouldn't be as they shouldn't be in verse 22, because in verse 21 he has told us to be subject one to another and therefore as we read through this we don't need the word submit because he's already addressed that issue in verse 21. So in verse 22 we say wives to your own husbands. Here he says husband love your wife just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it.

So when it comes to my love for myself I am to rank that under my love for my wife. That's how I submit to her. That's how each husband is called to submit to his wife.

Notice he says here just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her. He wants us to know that we ought to be subject in that way. Look at verse 26 he goes on to talk about Christ and what Christ has done for the church so that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of the water with the word that he might present her to himself the church in all of its glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that he would be excuse me but that she would be holy and blameless.

Is that what we are doing with our wives? Do we really love them in a way that we want them to be holy and blameless? We want them to be without fault. I should never ask my wife to do something that would put her in the spot of not being holy and blameless. Never and that's what he's directing us to do here.

Treat our wives just as Christ treated the church and gave himself up for her. He goes on in verse 28 and says so husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own body for he who loves his wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourished and cherished it just as Christ also does the church. It doesn't matter what a person says about how much they hate themselves; the bible says but no one has ever hated himself - by the way that's the truth, we don't have to debate that. But he says, in verse 30, he says because we are members of his body for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and the two of them shall be one flesh.

I think parents have a bigger issue with this than the husband and wife does really. It says for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh. That means that man and that woman has their house and it to be ran by them not the mom and the dad back somewhere else.

That's what he's pointing out here now he goes on in verse 32 and said this is the mystery; by the way he calls the mystery great; he says but I am speaking with reference to Christ in the church. This is how Christ and the church really should function but look at the next verse, nevertheless each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. So he has talked to us, he has told us how the husband and the wife are to submit to one another. Now we're going to pick up tonight's message starting with the children and he says Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1 children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Wow, what a great statement! Now as if any statement in the bible wouldn't be great; but just I want to tell you something children. He said children obey your parents and the reason you're going to do this is because it is right. As I was reading and preparing for this I came across this commentator and he pointed me to Hosea and if you remember Hosea was the guy that was told to go out and marry a wife of harlotry and to have children of harlotry, and the reason God told him to do this because Israel had turned that back on God and had brought harlotry into their lives. Hosea chapter 14 is the last chapter in Hosea, verse 9 is the last verse in that chapter, and here's what it says whoever is wise let him understand these things whoever is discerning let him know them for the ways of the Lord are right and the righteous will walk in them but transgressors will stumble in them.

Notice he uses the term right that those who are right will walk in them but those who are transgressors will stumble in them. By the way if a person is walking along and he stumbles it's kind of like noticeable to everybody. So here he says the transgressors will stumble over the same rights that the righteous person is walking in, the righteous person is doing, and Hosea would say long before Paul would write this the ways of the Lord are right.

So when Paul comes along and said children obey your parents for this is right he is pointing out to us as children that it's the right thing to do to obey your parents. Now he says that's the action I want you to take then he tells us how to address the attitude that we should do that right thing in. He says honor your father and your mother which is the first commandment with the promise so that it may be well with you and that you may live long upon the earth.

So when I am obeying my parents I need to have a great attitude in doing so. By the way the word honor means to estimate or to fix the value. There's a difference between fixing the value and fixing a value.

Because see if I fix a value I put whatever price on it I want to but when you fix the value you're given the proper value of that thing and that's what honor means. When it says honor your father and your mother, number one know who this person is, know their value, and set that on them; honor them in that way, and he's given us this understanding that the children ought to submit themselves to their parents by obeying them and by honoring them. And then we come to verse 4.

Most of us as parents never think about the idea that we are to submit ourselves to our kids but here he tells us yes you are because he's told us to submit to one another in all things. He says father do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. How is it that parents would submit themselves to their children by not bringing them or driving them to anger? Now that doesn't mean don't spank your kids because the scripture strictly tells us that that should happen.

Okay what he's talking about here is don't place something on your kid that they can't do that would drive them to anger. An example let's say you have the best B student in your kid that that kid can be. That kid is doing all this homework doing everything that he can but the very best that he can come up with or she can come up with is a B. And you decide it has to be an A. So you go and you drive them to get there and they can't make that that's what he's talking about.

Fathers or parents do not provoke your children to wrath, exasperation or anger. Don't provoke them to that that they might understand that they might know that yes, mom or dad really do love me and would not provoke me to that. By the way this word for anger here this Greek word is only used twice in the New Testament only used in two verses here and in Romans 10:19.

Romans 10:19 says but I say surely Israel did not know did they? First Moses said I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation and by a nation without understanding I will anger you. God is driving Israel to anger over the Gentiles because of what he's doing and bringing them in because of how far Israel has walked away from God. God's motives are always pure, ours are not and that's why he would tell the children of Israel I will provoke you to anger because of this, but then he can direct us not to provoke our children because our motives can be wrong.

I love the last part of that verse: don't drive them to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I have a picture in my mind when I come to the word but and let's say this podium here would be the word but this is kind of the picture I have in my mind: on the left side whatever is on but is going to be different from what's on the right side. So he says over here, he says do not provoke your children to anger, but over here he says but bring them up in the nurture and the admiration of the Lord, so he wants me to instruct them in the Lord and then I'll ask myself the question, how would I do that.

In Deuteronomy 6 verses 4 to 8 he gives us a great way of doing this here: o Israel the Lord is our God the Lord is one you should love the Lord with all you should love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might. These words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart, you should teach them to your sons and shall talk to them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up you shall bring them as a sign, excuse me, you bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates.

He's given some great instructions here. Here is how you are to do this: first God addresses the adults in the room. O Israel, what does he want them to know, the Lord is our God and the Lord is one. A parent cannot teach this to their children unless they believe it; now he moves on to verse 5: you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.

Then in verse 6 he says these words: which I am commanding you today they shall be in your heart; notice this is a command. This isn't a suggestion, what you're going to do first Israel, you're going to know that the God our God is one and you're going to teach that to your children. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, yes, but one God he says. I want you to teach this to your children and teach it how? Teach it diligently to your sons, teach it when you're sitting in your house, teach it when you're walking in the way, teach it when you are rising up, teach it when you're laying down. This is the thing he wants the Jews to do first, to understand that these instructions are to be taught to the kids, but they're to be lived out in front of the kids and the kids will know that you believe these things because they see you living them out. Do our kids see those things in us?

My parents taught me many things about God in this way and those have stuck with me for a lifetime. I am 77 years old, so 65 years ago my mother taught me one of these lessons that I have never forgotten.

I had a dog, the dog was named Skippy; so we're getting ready to leave, I have no idea where we were going but I was 12 years old and I just said verbally to my dog, Skippy we're leaving the house in your hands, and my mother heard that and she said to me, no we're not, we're leaving the house in God's hands. She didn't scold me, she didn't say you're wrong, she didn't call me a name, she just says no we're not. We are leaving it in God's hands. She was teaching me, we need to depend on God not the dog, and I tell you that has stuck with me all of these years because how she approached it and what she said; just a gentle correction.

And there are many times when either one of my parents would have talked to us about the Bible and made out a point. They may have even given us an assignment to go look up and come back to them, that was another way that they taught us, our parents were intentional about instructing us about God, and that's what Paul is asking us to do, to be intentional when it comes to teaching our kids; that they will come to understand who God is and what it is that he would have us to do. So we're not to provoke them to anger, but we're all to teach them the things of God and how it is that God would direct us and strengthen us and how it is that he will call us to be the things that he wants us to be.

By the way when I first learned about Abraham from the Bible, you know who I compared him to? My dad, because see I knew my dad's faith long before I knew about Abraham's faith, because my dad lived out the things of God and I could see it, so when he would teach me something about it, I didn't have a problem understanding it because I saw it in his life first.

And these are the things that he is bringing to us. Paul here covers the husband and the wife, he covered the kids and the parents, and now he's going to deal with the slaves and the masters.

Today's language would be the employee and the employers. He says in chapter 6 verses 5 and 6, slaves be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart as to Christ, not by way of service as men pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

When I'm reading through scripture and I see the term bondservant, that word bothers me. By the way I got that from John MacArthur, by the way when he was alive he called it a non-word; why? Because the word that is there in the Greek is doulos; you know what doulos means? Slave - that's all it means, it doesn't mean anything else, it means slave. But a lot of the translators would translate this one bondservant or servant.

By the way this Greek word is used 127 times in the New Testament. The King James Version, New King James Version mostly always translated servant or bond servant. Let me read to you from the New King James these same two verses.

Bondservants be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in sincerity of heart as to Christ, not with our service as men pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ doing the will of God bond servant.

Is there a difference between bond servant and slave? Yes there is!

I know a guy at Mount Wilson that tells us he has nine jobs, that means he's bond servant to nine people. That's what that means: you can be as many bond servants as you want, but slaves is to one person. You don't have many masters, just one.

Notice when Paul uses this term he says slaves be obedient to your master according to the flesh; he doesn't want there to be any misunderstanding between who the real master is here. This is your master according to the flesh; later on he would say both of you have a master in heaven and you know that, and so that's the thing that he's directing here. Slaves or employees, how are you going to submit to your employer by obedience, by being obedient to them? And let me hurry and say the scripture would tell you that if they want you to do something that God has told you not to do, you don't have to obey them. If they tell you not to do something that God has told you to do, you don't have to obey that. People have asked all the time, how do you share your faith with people at work if the boss has told you not to? See the boss controls the time he's paying you for; he doesn't control before work, he doesn't control lunchtime, he doesn't control after work. So you set up a time then to share these things with him, with the person who you want to share with.

You can do that but you have to bring it to that particular level, because you want to do what you want: to obey him, to put God on display.

Now notice verse 7: it says with goodwill rendering service as to God not as to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does this he would receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. He said you honor God; whether you get back from them or not is a whole different thing but God will bring the thing back to you, whether you are the slave or whether you're the slave owner he says God will bring these things.

I know that there are those of you who have been going through some difficulties and you simply prayed about those and left them in God's hand, and you were amazed at what God has brought out of that. That's why the Scripture tells us, he would do more than we could even ask or think. That's how we as employees are to submit to the employers.

Then in verse 9 he deals with the masters or the employers, and masters do the same thing to them and give up threatening knowing that both their master and yours is in heaven and there is no partiality in him.

There is no partiality in God; whether you are a slave or whether you're the slave owner there's no partiality. Whether you're the child or whether you're the parent there's no partiality. Whether you're the husband or the wife there's no partiality. There's one thing for you and I as Christian to present God, is to say that God doesn't have partiality. We have to present him that way; in every way we present him that God has no partiality in him.

In Galatians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10 he says let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time you will reap if we do not grow weary, so then while we have opportunity let us do good to all people and especially to those who are the household of faith.

So whether you’re an employer or a supervisor, he says treat everybody that's in your care, well that would be all people, and then he says especially to those who are the household of faith, so you're going to treat everybody good. Those of the household of faith, you're going to give them a little bit extra, especially those who are of the household of faith.

In Ephesians chapter 4 5 and 6 what have we seen? Chapter 4 verse 1 he says I therefore the prison of the Lord implore you to walk in a manner worthy of your calling for which you have been called.

Therefore: whenever you see that word, therefore, you have to look at what is it there for? And the reason it's there in chapter 4 verse 1 because of chapters 1 2 and 3 here's who you are in Christ. And now he's going to say here's how you are to conduct yourself, chapter 5 verses 15 and 16, he says therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise but as wise making the most of your time because the days are evil.

You and I are instructed in scripture to be careful how we live, recognizing that the days are evil, and we are to do this in a way that we are to honor him.

And then in chapter 5 verse 21 he tells us to be submissive to one another in the fear of God. He deals with the whole church there; everybody in the church was either a husband or a wife, a parent or a child or a slave or free, so he deals with everybody in the church. You know, we have the same situation today; you just change it out to employee and employer. Some of us are retired but that means we were employed at one time or another. But he said, these are the things that he's laid out to us, he tells us we must do this.

Now look at Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10. He says finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. How are we to do this? We are to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. By what are we to do this? Verse 11, put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Interesting, Paul mentions the devil twice in this letter. In chapter 4 when he's dealing with our anger he says to us, in verses 26 and 27, be angry and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Wow, he wants us to know how to deal with our anger: he said do not let the sun go down on your anger. I've had people said to me, well you know it happened at night time so I have all night, and what he's talking about is a change of day. That's all he's talking about so if you get angry at night, then don't let the sun come up on your wrath, that's all he's saying now.

Because if you do, what are you doing, you're giving the devil an opportunity and by the way the opportunity is with you more than with anybody else.

But that's what he's telling us, we need to not to give the devil an opportunity; and then in verse 12 he says for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, against powers, against the world forces of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. Now all of this he's told us how to submit to one another, then he says but you're not wrestling against flesh and blood. This thing is against spiritual wickedness in all places, this is against the enemy that you are struggling against.

I know you think it's your boss but it is not. You think it's the wife but it's not. You think it's the husband but it's not. It's the enemy provoking them to do the things that they are doing and your battle is really against the spiritual wickedness in higher places.

He says, for we struggle not against flesh or blood; the word struggle there is an athletic term, it has to do with two men wrestling and they're trying to throw each other to the floor. And the way they win is by one man throwing another to the floor and then holding them there by his neck, that's the victor.

He said this is what the enemy is trying to do for us. You are not struggling against flesh and blood, but you're struggling against rulers- this word is used to describe the demons and the angels.

Then he says, against powers, power of choice, literally of doing as one pleases, that's what comes up against us more than anything else. I really do want to do as I please. He says that's what you're struggling against, that's the thing that is being brought to you.

Then he says you're struggling against these forces of darkness; some would say the rulers of darkness, but it has to do with the prince of this age, the devil and his minions.

These are the things that we are struggling against, spiritual forces of wickedness belonging to the spirit or man, higher than mankind but inferior to God. You are dealing with something that's higher than you but inferior to God, therefore you can come to God and say I'm not going to remain angry about this, because I know I'm not fighting against flesh and blood, but I am going to trust you to deal with this thing for me, to help me that I might move forward and put you on display.

In verse 13 he says therefore take the full armor of God; notice he told us earlier to put on the full armor of God, now he tells us again, therefore take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist it in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand firm having done your best to stand; stand firm in a way. By the way, when he describes the armor he talks about what you put on your feet.

The old Roman soldier used to wear boots and they would drive nails through the soles of the boots so they could stand firm in battle; it wouldn't be slipping and sliding. That's what he's telling us, stand firm.

Verse 15 he picks up on that, he says having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Know the scriptures, know what's there. In addition to that all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench the fiery arrows of the evil one.

Now this word for shield there is talking about this shield: it's about two foot and a half across, four feet high. The soldier could actually get down behind it because, notice what he's dodging here, he's dodging fiery arrows.

Can you imagine being shot by an arrow? Now think of that arrow having tar on it and it's on fire and it comes in, He says this is what the enemy is shooting at you, so you want to be able to get away from those things.

Then he says take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of the Lord. He's not talking about getting saved, he's already talking to saved people. But you and I must know our salvation, and we can only know that through the sword of the spirit which is the word of the lord.

Let me encourage you to stop running and pulling the shades down when you see JW’s coming to your door; go meet them at the door with the sword of the spirit in your hand, so you can share with them the truth, because that's what God has us here for.

How are you going to submit to one another, by putting on the full armor of God, that you might do this, that you might say this, that you might live this out?

And then he tells us at the end of all this, verse 18, with all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit, and with this in view be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. Do we pray for one another? That's what he's instructing us to do here, pray for all the saints.

Look at verse 19, and pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. He's not asking that the chains be taken off, he's saying that his mouth would be opened, that he would speak the word of God to people with boldness.

Do we do that? Do we talk to people about God? And it doesn't matter whether they listen or not, whether they pay attention or not, whether they agree with you or not. What matters is whether you're sharing or not.

Paul says, pray for me also, that I might open my mouth with boldness to speak the mighty word of god. I was at Costco yesterday having my glasses renewed or whatever they do. The guy said do you work at the computer a lot? I said yeah, I'm doing study. What are you studying? I told him studying the Scripture. He said yeah, he said that's interesting, he says I'm a catholic, and I just believe that, you know, you do the best you can, and God just, you know, counts that, and you know, you you're all right. He said, what do you think about that?

I said, well the bible says that there's no one who does good, so doing the best you can isn't going to even show up. He said, no I agree 100% with you. That's not what he had just said a minute ago, okay but that's what he was saying now. And in that conversation he kept telling me, yeah i agree with that. He did not agree with it, because he told me what he believed up front.

All we have to do, people, is be faithful in getting the word out, and that is the thing that he is calling us to do. Now let me just tell you this in the last few minutes that i have: this isn't written to everyone, this is written to the believer.

You are not a believer because you come to church. Matter of fact, you're not a believer because you're in this church. The believer is one who has come to Christ based on what Christ has done on the cross on our behalf, and based on that belief we have repented and turned from our sinful ways and turned to him. That's what makes the difference, and that's who he's instructing this to, and you and I ought to put these things into practice and to live the life that God has called us to live, that we might put him on display in all that we do

Let's pray: Father we thank you for this time that you've given us tonight. We ask now that you would direct our hearts to follow your direction for us in scripture. We who know who we are in you; help us to live a life that would reflect you. If there are any here tonight who do not know, you we pray that they would come to know you. We pray this in Christ’s name, and for his sake, we ask it, amen.